As I explained in my Photography section this morning, Marlboro Man was unable to take photos while he was working the other day–something about being stuck in a chute with 750-pound bovine animals–so our younger daughter grabbed the camera and snapped a photo journal of the activity in and around the cattle pens.

What I’m about to say is in no way one of those things mothers say when they brag on their children.

Actually it is.

I’m in love with her shots. As I scrolled through them last night, I kept calling Marlboro Man over to my computer monitor. “Oh my gosh,” I’d say. “LOOK at this one…look at THIS one…look at this ONE.”

I love that she just picked up the camera and snapped.

I especially love that I don’t exactly know what’s going on, and that I have to put the story together in my mind. For instance, in this shot I imagine that my older girl’s two cousins are about to charge at her and take her down. And she knows it, too–just look at her expression. Something about being the oldest and tallest of all the grandchildren makes her an attractive target.

In this shot, I imagine that in order to head off being thrown to the ground by two punks, my daughter tried to distract them by dancing a jig. “Here kids,” I can hear her saying. “Dance. Dance this jig with me.”

I’m sure it happened just like that.

In this shot, I imagine…nothing. They’re boys. That’s it–I imagine that these two are boys.

And that their primary objective at all times and in all places is to clobber each other.

Sometimes violently so.

In this shot, I imagine that my nephew’s sister ran over to intervene…

And give her beloved cousin below a fighting chance.

Is it chivalry when a girl is the one being gallant?

I’ll have to think on that one.

This was one of the non-action shots my girl snapped. These turned out to be my favorites, because I got to see how the subjects interact with my daughter…not with me.

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Saturday, April 4: Freezer Fundamentals! While ranch work is going on outside, freezer work is going on inside! I share four more of my favorite freezer basics, which can be made into a whole bunch of different meals.